Vegan Overnight Oats

Vegan Overnight Oats

Vegan Overnight Oats are the time-crunched person’s breakfast secret weapon, since they take just a couple minutes to make at night before bed. When you mix together rolled oats, chia seeds, and almond milk, the chia seeds absorb the milk and the oats soften, creating an effortless chilled porridge. Place it in the fridge at night and forget about it until morning, when you’ll wake up to a cool, creamy bowl of oats that’s just perfect in the spring or summer. This is my go-to overnight oats recipe, but feel free to change up the fruit and other mix-ins as you like.

Yield1 bowl

Soak timeovernight or 2 hours

Prep time5 Minutes

Cook time0 Minutes

Total time5 Minutes

Ingredients:

1 large ripe/spotty banana, mashed

2 tablespoons chia seeds

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup gluten-free rolled oats

3/4 cup almond milk

1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (optional)

Suggested Toppings:

Granola

Fresh fruit

Coconut flakes

Pure maple syrup

Cinnamon

Nuts and seeds

Banana soft serve

Directions:

In a small bowl, mash the banana until almost smooth. Now stir in the chia seeds and cinnamon until combined.

Stir in the oats, almond milk, and vanilla (if using). Cover and refrigerate overnight, or a minimum of 2 hours.

In the morning, stir the oat mixture to combine. If your Vegan Overnight Oats have a runny consistency even after they soak, simply stir in an additional 1 tablespoon chia seeds and place the mixture back in the fridge until it has thickened up. If the oat mixture is too thick, simply add a splash of milk and stir to combine.

Tips:

Not a banana fan? Try swapping the mashed banana for 1/4-1/2 cup of your favourite yogurt and liquid sweetener, if desired.

The picture is gorgeous as always!
I love how you added chia seeds for even more protein! The oats and chia helped keep me full for hours after I made this.
I added chocolate to the oats when they were warm — it melted and made the oats taste like chocolate chip banana bread! It was SO YUMMY.
https://peanutbutterandle.wordpress.com

Thank you so much for putting this here so I can follow. For many years I tried different things to substitute for meat. Thank goodness now I can follow these ideas here. This is amazing and I am so grateful for this. I don’t believe in meat and I enjoy veggies. The cruelty to animals must stop and I think I will always be supporting these petitions and avoiding meat. God Bless this website and keep up the good work. This will help me and others like me. Thank you again lets save all animals. Thank you. NOW and STOP the pain of all animals once and for all.

Sorry if this is a stupid question…but do you just use raw oats? Do you cook them? I always use steel cut oats and never tried rolled oats before so that’s why I was wondering what to do for this recipe. Thank you so much!

I’m sorry to hear that, Arianne! What was it that you didn’t like about it? I may be able to offer some suggestions for tweaking the recipe to more in line with your preferences. I’d love to help if I can! :)

I’m a majorly lazy morning person so I make enough for 4 days’ worth on Sundays when I make my breakfast. Works great! To reward myself one of the mornings I’ll make a parfait. Angela has amazing posts on here for them…

Thanks for the tip!! I, too, don’t have chia seeds on hand (though I know where to find them here). I, too was wondering if flax seeds would work for a substitute. I just might try this one tonight!! Thank you, thanks you!!

Eat whole, healthy foods instead of being worried about nutrition facts. If you have a medical condition that requires careful monitoring of food intake, there are many sources online for ingredient nutrition facts.

This recipe looks great! I’m allergic to bananas, unfortunately. Is there a substitute or a way to adjust the recipe to compensate for that texture? Thank you for all of your delicious recipes! They have truly helped transform my life :)

I have an oat allergy and I have noticed that you use oats or oat flour in many of your recipes. I have your cookbook as well, which makes use of oats and oat flour as well. I was wondering if you have any suggestions for oats or oat flour substitute.

I’m way late in a response to this, but you can always throw this in the microwave in the morning when you’re ready to eat it to heat it up. That’s what I do with mine – especially in the winter when a cold breakfast isn’t very appealing. You can heat it for about 30 seconds on high to slightly warm it, or 1:30 or so to heat it all the way.

I use a diet tracking app (like LoseIt) to enter a recipe, then the app can calculate nutritional values for you. It may not calculate to the milligram or micronutrient, but it has done an adequate job tracking my protein.

Hi Angela, this is a great recipe! You might like my cool weather version: mix dry ingredients into a small jar (clean jam jar) and top with hot (soy) milk. Screw on lid and eat at the office still warm a good hour later. No microwave! Great for using fresh hot soy or almond milk straight from a soymilk maker. For making the night before, cool to room temp, put on lids, then refrigerate. Heat when ready to eat. This works great with steel cut oats or whole groats. I also like it with some protein powder added to it to keep hunger at bay (I bike an hour to work so am pretty hungry on arrival).

This breakfast is delicious! I put it in a jar and took it to the office. My entire family gobbled it down this morning. Last night I made the mixture put it in a bowl in the fridge. Then threw in a pile of berries into jars for everyone and put the lids on. This morning I mixed up the oatmeal (nothing needed to be added as it was a perfect consistency) and I let my daughter take her lid off the mason jar and fill it up! The “cold” got to her a little so I warmed it for her and she gobbled it down. Hands down one of my favorite new recipes! Thanks for sharing.

Eating these overnight oats this morning. Cold. With no toppings. I was going to add some toppings and then I realized there’s a whole banana in the recipe! I’m totally enjoying them and loving the fact that I didn’t have to make them this morning. Easy peasy. Awesome recipe!!!

I am always trying tricks for a speedy breakfast routine and have been unsuccessful achieving any consistency – or long-term palate satisfaction.
No lie – I was extremely apprehensive. Cold oats turned mush in almond milk? I was motivated by the idea that if this was good my breakfasts would be earning me a healthful gold star AND I would SAVE so much time and MONEY.

Angela I couldn’t have been more blown away at how convenient and delicious your recipe turned out! It was fantastic cold and the variety can be changed so easily with all kinds of fruits and nuts.

For all of you that have asked what to sub for bananas. I make mine without bananas. I just use flax seed and chia seed, put in sliced strawberries (about 3) and small hand full of blueberries. Then top with almond milk and stir and place in refrig. Don’t miss the bananas!

Angela! I’ve been an avid reader of your blog since the beginning of 2015. It started when my friend posted a pic of her green monster smoothie on instagram and tagged you in it. After that, I started following you and I have read your posts and your stories. About 5 weeks ago, I had 4 major attacks with my stomach and terrible pain. Nonetheless, I spent a lot of time on the couch/ going to hospital/ specialists/ doctors etc. so when I was feeling a little bit okay and had to leave the apartment before I went crazy, I went to chapters and picked up your amazing cookbook. After reading it, I’ve been using it in a “meal-prep” fashion to be able to eat well a bit easier. I also, am a researcher, grad student under a lot of pressure, research assistant and supply teacher with a background of similar eating disorders. I have been using your cookbook for a week for meal prepping and having my mother and grandmother over for dinner tonight, my mother said “you are looking so much better, you have a glow about you” and my grandmother agreed and said “yes, your color is looking so much better”. Thank you for this, one of my fav recipes! And thank you for your cookbook so I can have my glow. Happy New Year :)

These overnight oats are amazing! The sugar from the bananas makes it sweet enough to eat without adding any type of sweetener. They are also so easy to prepare and ready for breakfast in the morning which makes these oats so nutritious and convenient :) Thank you Angela!

This was delicious!! I did not have chia seeds so did not use and I did not use the vanilla or any topping and it was amazing. And I don’t like oatmeal. This was so good. Thank you so much! I’m feeling healthier already :)

These are amazing! This is the first recipe with chia that I actually enjoy. I had my two kids try them as well and they loved them too! They heated theirs up in the morning and added in some melted peanut butter. This recipe is so easy and healthy. I’ve made them every day for the past few days. These will definitely be a staple for me. :)

Thanks so much for adding this recipe. I actually HATE oatmeal. I have never found a version hot or cold that makes me want to eat it….until yours! I made it exact to your recipe and added a bit of maple syrup per your suggestion for topping and ate the entire jar! Not sure what makes this one so special, but it is so delicious! I’ve struggled with veganizing breakfast, especially with my general aversion to oatmeal and having grown up on the southern tradition of bacon and eggs, so this really helps. Again thank you!

I LOVE this and I am a follower of all of your recipes! I make overnight oats almost everyday and I top it with my Whirlybird Granola. :) I wanted to see if you would be interested in trying some of my granola! I am a mom of 3 and I started this business because I could not find any granola that did not have artificial ingredients, added sugars, and still tasted great! Whirlybird Granola is vegan, free from GMO’s and anything artificial, and it tastes AMAZING!!! I would love to send you some samples to try on your oats or however you would like! If this is something you are interested in, just let me know and I will get the samples to you ASAP. Thanks in advance for your time!
Christy (owner of Whirlybird Granola)

How long does this keep in the fridge? The recipe makes enough for probably 4-5 small servings for me (Not a huge eater in the mornings), which is great because I can make it Sunday Evening and last into the week. Am I safe to be eating this 4-5 days after making it?

delicious recipe though, Always make mine with some maple syrup and granola on top :)

Hi Nathalie, great question! You could try using peeled mashed pear, or even shredded apple. Alternately, you could replace the banana by adding a bit of your favourite yogurt for thickening, and then adding your desired sweetener to taste. Hope this helps!

Hello Angela!
I was wondering if it could be an alternative to simply omit the yogurt/banana and use only the almond milk (in maybe lesser quantities) and sweetener. What do you think?
Thanks from a not-fan-of-bananas-who-might-not-have-yogurt-in-the-fridge ;)

Was looking for some sort of overnight breakfast and found this. I’m a longtime vegan and lover of oatmeal. This is perfect. I don’t add any toppings, just make the recipe as directed. I’ve shared it with several people, all of whom love it as much as I do. Thanks so much.

Hey Maria, I’ve used steel-cut oats in the past and it worked quite well (although I must say, the oats don’t get as cream as rolled oats, but they are nice and chewy). My guess is that instant oats would break down a lot while sitting overnight and might turn out overly “mushy”.

Hey Karen, You can make it with whichever liquid you prefer, but I can attest that using milks creates a really creamy bowl! I think I tried it with water once in the past and wasn’t a big fan, but feel free to use what you like.

This is the second VOO I tried. Yesterdays one had so much maple syrup that I felt pukey eating it. I love this one so much more. The banana adds the perfect amount of sweetness and the flavours were awesome. I don’t usually like cold porridge and I had the idea that I can heat it in the morning but I didn’t need to because this was great as is. Bonus that it didn’t give me a sugar induced headache after eating it like yesterday’s breakfast! This one will be made often with the weather warming up. Thank you.

Amazing! I have never found a breakfast until now that will keep me full until lunchtime. I work in an office and don’t get time to snack or eat anything until at least 1:30. I added peanut butter to mine, it was delicious. Thank you!

Hi Laura, You can try swapping the mashed banana for 1/4-1/2 cup of your favourite yogurt (and maybe add a bit of liquid sweetener, if needed/desired). Alternatively, you could try using peeled mashed pear, or even shredded apple. Hope this helps!

Curious about the soft serve part. You mention it in several recipes (such as Chocolate Cake Batter Vegan Overnight Oats). The reason I like the overnight oats so much is that I can make it in the evening when I’m not in a hurry. In the morning the last thing I want to do is grab my blender and make stuff. If I don’t mind that the “soft serve” isn’t frozen, could I blend them up and add them the night before?

I just had to write a comment. A few years ago, my sister and I tried overnight oats from a random post on pinterest and it. was. AWFUL. We could not understand what the craze was about. Fast forward a few years, and I’ve made a zillion of your recipes, but always skipped over the overnight oats because I could not believe that you would even like them. Finally, last night, curiosity got the best of me and I told my husband I was going to give them a whirl (and promised a back up plan for breakfast). I know I shouldn’t be shocked, since I’ve loved every single one of your recipes, but we LOVED this. Thanks again for another recipe that will go into our household’s weekly rotation!

Hi Rafaela, I would agree with you that overnight oats are definitely creamy (especially when you mash a banana into the mix or add yogurt!). That said, if you want to make them less creamy, I would suggest letting them sit for much less time and using less liquid. Instead of mashing a banana into the bowl, wait to add a chopped banana just before serving (or of course, any fruit you like). Shredded or finely chopped apple is a great swap for mashed banana, and it yields a less creamy result. The gel-like texture of soaked chia seeds can also throw some off at first, so you could also try making your first bowl with a minimal amount, and go from there. I would try using 1/2 cup rolled oats, 1/2 cup almond milk, 2 teaspoons of chia seeds, and cinnamon and sweetener, to taste. If you let it sit for much less time in the fridge—15 minutes or so—the oats will remain chewy, firm, and a bit less creamy compared to letting it sit overnight. Another idea is to serve it with a crunchy granola on top for a nice texture contrast. Lastly, I have some delicious baked oatmeal recipes that might be more up your alley. They’re still make-ahead recipes (and can even be frozen and re-heated!), and will firm up a lot in the fridge! I really love baked oatmeal straight from the fridge, especially in the summer. I’d suggest trying my Heavenly Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal, Tropical Pineapple Baked Oatmeal, or Maple-Cinnamon Apple & Pear Baked Oatmeal (The Oh She Glows Cookbook p. 39). With a little experimentation, I’m sure you’ll find your perfect oatmeal!

Is there anything I can sub for the banana? I love them but among many other of my favorite foods, some of which I consider staples among the vegan lifestyle, I found out I have food sensitivities too :-( (big crying face). I need to avoid bananas and apples if possible, I won’t die from them but during sinus season in particular I need to pay attention to my food sensitivities they aggravate them. :’-(

Hi Brenda, I’m so sorry to hear you’re sensitive to a food you love! That’s the worst, isn’t it? For the Vegan Overnight Oats, you can try swapping the mashed banana for 1/4 to 1/2 cup of your favourite yogurt, adding a bit of liquid sweetener, if desired.

Thanks Angela! I will try that. :-) I wanted to say I love your recipes, site, and app. :-D I just downloaded the app and have some books in my kindle as well as some others in my wishlist for later when I get some extra money :-) <3

I made this recipe with my son and it was soooo quick and easy to make!!! Due to allergies, I substituted the banana for plain non-fat Greek yogurt and used water as my liquid. After letting it refrigerate overnight I topped mine with blueberries and my son topped his with granola. Both were absolutely delicious! Because I’m up at 4:30am everyday to workout this will surely be my ‘go to’ breakfast in the mornings! What a great way to have a pre-made nutritious breakfast on the go!!!

Thanks so much for the recipe. I started a gluten-free / vegan diet a couple months ago and these overnight oat recipes have been a great substitute for all the yogurt I was eating. I’ve been making big batches to get me through the week, but I keep having to open up the container which makes them go bad quicker. I want to make a batch of smaller jars, but won’t the oats get too mushy? Any suggestions on? Thanks so much!

I have tried other recipes for overnight oats before and always ended up throwing them out because I didn’t like the flavour and/or texture. This recipe could not be any different! It is SO good and SUPER filling!! I like to top mine with granola (your recipe!), hemp seeds and mixed berries :)

This recipe is delicious and very easy to make! I used a glass jar and made it at 11pm, took it out of the fridge at 6:30am and I ate it about an hour later. It’s an awesome ‘grab n go’ breakfast and all I can say is IM HOOKED! Thank you!!

2 years ago I set out to better my health for my life and my son’s. Your first cookbook opened up a whole new world of healthy eating and nourishing foods to me. 130 lbs later, your book is full of bunny ears and note and this is still my favorite breakfast. So versatile! Thank you!

Hey there! You could try swapping the mashed banana for peeled mashed pear, or even shredded apple. Alternatively, you could try reducing the almond milk a bit and simply adding some sweetener to taste in place of the banana, though I’m not positive on the proportions (it may take a bit of trial and error). The VOO won’t be as creamy, but should still thicken up okay. If you try either option, please let us know how it goes. Hope this helps!

Made this recipe for the first time last night and am currently enjoying it at work. I have to say I am impressed by how much I like it! I did not add any toppings, and was apprehensive whether the sweetness from one not overly ripe banana would do it for me. I ate half the jar without any additions, and drizzled a tiny bit of honey on top toward the end. Can’t wait to experiment with toppings, but take comfort in knowing that even when I am too lazy to add any, I can thoroughly enjoy this simple breakfast.

I have been putting a bit of a frozen fruit medley (blueberries, raspberries, blackberries) on the bottom and top. I have cut the almond milk slightly to makeup for the moisture released by the thawing fruit.

This, along with your clusters, is the first thing I have made from your book. I am hooked!!!
Milk products have been bothering me lately so I am attempting to adopt a vegan lifestyle. Your website and books are perfect for helping me. (I may also love the fact that you are Canadian! Producing recipes that are in season.)
Quick question: How long will this stay in my fridge for? It takes me 3 days to eat the batch. I’m assuming that is fine.

Hi Kelly, I’m so happy to hear you’re enjoying my recipes and finding them helpful! You’re right: vegan overnight oats will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a few days. Happy eating! ;)

I would probably cook a big batch of steel cut oats, and then create several days worth of “overnight oats”…portioned into small jars for the week. You can soak steel cut oats, but it doesn’t get creamy without cooking, and so I find the texture is dramatically different when using them instead of rolled oats. But try it if you’re curious! :)